As the launch of Nintendo’s next console approaches, the company has developed a simple strategy to combat scammers selling hardware at inflated prices.
Most recent consoles have faced a shortage problem at launch. A well-known example is the global chip shortage during the pandemic, which affected the number of PlayStation 5s available in 2020.
The scarce supply and increased demand provide fertile ground for buyers, who purchase consoles in bulk and sell them at high prices to take advantage of the situation.
While the original Switch struggled with limited supply at its launch in 2017, Nintendo has indicated that this will be less of an issue for the next console.
During an interview with investors, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa explained that they have a simple “countermeasure” to combat scammers: make more consoles.
“As a countermeasure against resale, we believe that the most important thing is to produce enough units to meet customer demand, and this idea has not changed since last year,” Furukawa said (translated by IGN).
‘In addition, we are considering whether other measures can be taken, to the extent permitted by law and regulations, taking into account the circumstances in the region concerned.’
Furukawa explains that the component shortage issue that has affected Switch console production for the past two years has now been “resolved,” so it shouldn’t be a problem for the company’s next hardware.
“While we were unable to produce sufficient quantities of Nintendo Switch hardware last year and the year before due to a shortage of semiconductor components, this situation has now been resolved,” he added. “At this time, we do not believe that the component shortage will have a significant impact on the production of the successor model.”
Aside from the fact that it exists, we still don’t know anything official about Nintendo’s next console. Nintendo has said it will announce the Switch successor “within this fiscal year,” so sometime before March 31, 2025.
Earlier this year, reports claimed the console had been internally delayed from late 2024 to next year in order to bolster the software lineup, though subsequent rumors suggest the plan was always for 2025.
As for details on the device itself, rumors suggest it will be an “iterative” improvement over the original Switch, potentially featuring magnetic Joy-Cons and backwards compatibility.
While many expected this year to be a quiet one for the Switch, Nintendo’s schedule for the rest of 2024 is surprisingly busy, featuring The Legend Of Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom, Super Mario Party Jamboree and Mario & Luigi: Brothership – further suggesting there was no delay involved.
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